The present invention concerns a device for releasably coupling a drawer to an extendable rail of a drawer extension guide, including a latching portion which can be releasably arrested for releasably coupling the drawer to the extendable rail of the drawer extension guide, a handle portion which is adapted for hand actuation and by which the latching portion is releasable relative to the rail of the drawer extension guide, and a counterpart holding portion. The rail is accommodated in the mounted position between the counterpart holding portion and the latching portion. The latching portion is movable by hand pressure on the handle portion in a direction facing away from the counterpart holding portion.
In addition, the invention concerns a drawer extension guide comprising a device of the kind to be described, as well as a drawer which is to be connected by way of such a device to en extendable rail of a drawer extension guide.
According to the state of the art, coupling devices are known by which a drawer can be fitted or removed in its entirety on an extendable rail of a drawer extension guide so that the drawer can be completely released from the drawer extension guide—for example for cleaning purposes—and can subsequently be fixed in position again. Coupling of the drawer to the extension guide can be effected automatically by a resilient latching portion of the device coming into latching engagement with a predetermined connecting location on the extension rail. In the mounting procedure, the drawer extension guide is firstly pre-mounted to the article of furniture, whereupon the drawer to be fixed in position is pushed onto the extension rail which is in the closed position until automatic latching of the drawer to the extension rail occurs by way of the latching portion. Dismantling of the drawer relative to the extension rail can also be effected without the use of a tool by a handle portion adapted for hand actuation being actuated, whereby the latching portion is released from the latching engagement and the drawer can then be removed.
Such coupling devices for drawers are described in EP 0 421 458 B1 and in WO 2009/149479 A1 to the present applicant. In that case, latching is effected by latching portions whose displaced abutment surfaces are successively latchingly engaged in an opening in the extension rail. Thereby, when the drawer is pushed in, bring about gradual latching engagement with a steady reduction in the play between the drawer and the extension rail.
DE 20 2005 005 489 U1 describes a drawer extension guide having a runner rail, at the front end of which is arranged an insertion limiter having a shaped spring. That provides that the runner rail can be displaced in the insertion direction only until a front end of the shaped spring bears against the central rail of the drawer extension guide. The latching nose of a coupling device engages into a provided recess in the rail, and the shaped spring is moved out of the path of displacement of the central rail. That ensures that the runner rail is reliably coupled to the displaceable furniture part.
WO 2010/040273 discloses a device for releasably coupling a drawer to a drawer extension guide, wherein a hook portion can be latchingly engaged on corresponding limbs of the extension rail. By applying manual pressure to an elastic portion, the hook portion can be removed from its latching engagement with the limbs whereby the drawer can be separated from the extension rail.
In regard to the latching engagement between the drawer and the extension rail, it is desirable if, upon mounting of the drawer box, an extension rail assumes a more or less predetermined position relative to the latching portion so that the latching portion can be properly latched to the predetermined connecting location on the extendable rail. If that position is not within a predetermined tolerance range, it would be possible for parts of the coupling device that are injection molded from plastic material, being damaged by the drawer being pushed on to the extension rail, or even entirely sheared off same.